Snow Covered Secrets
by Emerald Lotus
Summary: On a lovely snow covered night Maddie has a talk with Danny. And things are said that could change the relationship between mother and son forever.


I sighed and looked up at the sky. Snow was drifting slowly down to Earth, coating it in the chilled powder. The sky was tinted orange with the city lights reflecting on the clouds. I was on the roof, sitting on the edge of just trying to get some time to myself. The cold was relaxing, and didn't bother me very much. I suppose it's due to my ghost powers. I never really get hot or cold anymore, although apparently I'm always freezing to the touch.

Geez, how many months has it been now? About nine…I think. Nine long months of fighting ghosts, sleepless nights, failing grades, and keeping secrets. It would be enough to drive a person insane, but surprisingly it hasn't yet. Because even though it's tough, I sort of love it. Well, not the keeping secrets part. I hate that. I want to tell Mom and Dad, because I know I've been worrying them. Yet lately they've been a little more obsessed with the violent ghost experiments. I haven't spoken to them in about two days, afraid that I might set off one of their inventions or something.

Like right now I was avoiding dinner. Last week I got food poisoning because of some anti-ecto food my mother had cooked up. I spent that night and the entire next day in bed with a bucket as my companion.

"Danny?"

Dang, missed that one. I normally can tell when someone's behind me, but I was thinking so hard that Mom snuck up behind me.

"Yeah?" I responded. She stepped closer, her footsteps crunching on the dry powder.

"I came to tell you that Dinner's almost ready."

I groaned internally. "Thanks, um I'll be down soon."

"Alright," I heard her take a few steps, but then there was a shuffle. Did she turn around? "Danny?"

"Yeah?" I answered her the same way as before. I wasn't angry, but I wasn't happy with her either. And it was irrational because it's really all my fault. I'm mad at her, but she doesn't even know that she's offending me.

"Dear," she sighed. "You've been distant lately, even more so than usual. Is something bothering you, are you ill?"

I sort of want to tell her about who I am now, but there's always that fear that keeps holding me back. I huffed. "No, I'm fine," now maybe she'll leave me alone. Nope, instead she walked over to me and sat down. Dang, it didn't work.

"I wish you would tell me the truth," she said. She sounded upset, and it made my heart ache. It's not like I don't want to tell you. "Whatever's wrong you can tell me. I promise I won't get mad. Are…are you doing drugs?"

My head snapped up, and I looked at her for the first time since she came up on the roof. "No! Of course not."

"Okay, okay. It's a mom question. I had to ask because you're not telling me anything."

"Oh"

"So could you tell me, please? I hate seeing you this way," she pleaded.

"Mom," I started, and took a deep breath. "I hate the way people view the world. Even you sometimes look at it just like everyone else. Many people just see black and white or there's just good and bad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you ever looked at the gray? What's in between or the colors. What you might think is bad, could actually be good."

"I know that already. I don't judge people on their appearances or how they might seem to be."

I got up and walked behind her. "Yes, you do."

"Danny, I don't understand. What do you think I did wrong?" Mom asked. I could hear a strain in her voice, like she might cry. Was I upsetting her because she didn't understand what I was trying to say?

I inhaled, and held it in for a moment. I walked up behind her and put my hands over her eyes. "Close your eyes," I said.

"Why?"

"I'll finally tell you what's bothering me, so just play along. Okay?" It was quiet for a minute, only the sound of our breathing could be heard. "When your eyes are shut do I still sound the same?"

"Yes, of course you do."

"Do I still feel the same?" My hands were still on her face.

"Yes."

"Do you still love me the same?"

"Danny, I still don't get it. But you're my son; I will love you no matter what."

I exhaled a shaky breath. "O-Okay. Keep your eyes closed until I say," I instructed and walked in front of her where she could see me, but kept my distance. "Now open your eyes."

I watched as her eyes fluttered open, and locked onto me. In an instant I saw panic and confusion, and she just stared at me as I stood before her as Phantom. I swear if she stared at me any longer _I_ was going to keel over from an anxiety attack. My nerves were twisting knots in my stomach as I waited for her to reply….or shoot.

After five minutes of staring went by I decided to say something. "I'm sorry." I must have shaken her from her thoughts because she blinked and opened her mouth to say something. Yet no words came out.

"I should have shown you sooner, but I wasn't sure how you would react. I was afraid you would shoot at me, but right now I would prefer that to this silence. Please say something."

"How?"

"I turned on the Fenton Portal from the inside."

"Oh," she replied.

"And seeing how I'm a half-ghost I wanted to keep it a secret. You and Dad always go on about dissections, and you have weapons that could kill me. I've always wanted to tell you, but I was a little terrified. I'm sorry for keeping this from you."

Mom looked at me, her eyes shining with un-shed tears. "My son is a ghost, and I didn't even know. This is horrible," she sobbed and began to cry.

I cringed. That was a little unexpected. "But I'm only half ghost. I'm still alive; I've just got ghostly qualities," I tried to explain. But I was beginning to break down inside. This wasn't going exactly how I thought it would. "Mom, I-I'm still the same person. I'm not evil; I try to help people with my powers."

My knees gave out and I sank into the snow on the roof. "Please try to understand." I changed back hoping that maybe then Mom would look at me. The flash of light seemed to have caught her attention, because she once again looked at me.

"I-I don't know what to say," she began. Her eyes were a little red from the tears. "Danny, you shouldn't have kept this from me or your father. We could have helped you, found a cure or something."

"No!" I shouted at her. The images of being a lab experiment, and being poked and prodded on a lab suddenly came to mind. "It's not an illness. I don't want to be one of your test subjects."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I can see that, it's something that has occurred on a genetic level. I'm sorry that you've been scared of us, and I don't blame you." Mom wiped her eyes and stood up. Then she walked over to me, bent down, and hugged me. I stiffened at her touch, but slowly relaxed and hugged her back. "I love you, Danny. Thank you for telling me."

"I love you too, Mom."

She pulled away, and finally smiled at me. "I'm proud of you. I know you've done good things as Phantom, I was just too blind to see it."

"Thanks, you don't know how much that means to me."

Then she looked me up and down, like she had just seen me for the first time today. "Aren't you cold?" she asked out of the blue.

"No. The cold doesn't really affect me that much anymore."

"Oh, I suppose it wouldn't," she said. Smiled and brushed some snow out of my hair. She hugged me one more time, and then got up. "Dinner should be about ready. Shall we go downstairs?"

"Did you put any anti-ghost stuff in it?" I asked, not wanting a re-play of last week.

"Oh um, how about I make you a sandwich instead?" she offered.

I laughed, "That would be nice."

Mom helped me up, and we headed toward the roof exit. "I'd like to talk more about this after dinner, okay? We'll also have to tell your father."

"I know, and I'll be happy to tell you everything," I said. It felt like a weight had been lifted from me. Finally, after all these months of hiding in my own home the lies and secrets were over. And at this moment I couldn't be happier.

* * *

**I know this type of story has been done before, but I just felt the need to write something like this. I miss Danny Phantom, and hadn't written a story for it in years. So please leave a review, I welcome constructive criticism! **

**Thanks,  
Emerald Lotus**


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